Happy New Year PrincetonPlainsboro
by Anastacia Nightingale
Summary: Dr. House had planned to celebrate the New Year alone. Little did he know fate would intervine.
1. Chapter 1

Happy New Year Dr. House

"You were right, her blood sugar level is too low," Dr. Robert Chase said to the back of Dr. Gregory House.

"I would never had guessed that it was Type 1 Diabetes." said Dr. Remy Hadley, more affectionately known as Thirteen.

"That's why House is in charge of Diagnostics," a voice from the glass table in the corner said. Dr. Chris Taub was sorting through some papers from the case file.

"Tell Foreman to give her some insulin and then go home. I'm sure you all have a party to go to." Before anybody could say anything else, House hobbled his way to his office. He sat in his chair and picked up his favorite tennis to play with.

His team looked at each other then back at their boss. Poor House. They knew he wasn't going to the Hospital's New Year's Party. Even though had tried, even Wilson, saying it would be good for him. House refused, to no one's surprise. The team then scattered to go home and change; it almost ten.

House sat in his office, not doing much. Before he knew it, it was 11:45 P.M. but he didn't pay attention. He didn't want move. He enjoyed the tranquility of his office. For the first time, in a long time, Dr. House felt at peace in the quiet dark of his office. He could faintly hear the party on the ground floor. He also heard the faint sound of the click of heals getting louder and closer. He didn't turn. He just stared out the window. Not facing Lisa Cuddy when she walked in.

"I thought you would have left an hour ago."

"Is that why standing in my doorway?" He didn't feel like messing with Cuddy right now. "To see if I'm still here?"

"No."

"Then why are you still here?" House stood up without his cane and limped over to his boss. "Why did you come here?" He held onto the wall and tried not to wince in pain. "If you thought I wasn't here and I went home and the party, downstairs, which is probably much more interesting than up here and isn't someone down there waiting for you?"

Cuddy looked away. She thought of Lucas Douglas. Her boyfriend. "I came for the report on your previous case," She looked up at House, "I never got it."

House limped back to his desk and picked up the file. The one Foreman dropped on his desk so House could sign it. No doubt he and the rest of the team were not at the party. They were at home. They, like House, with the exception of Taub, did not have a significant other. They, like House, would not be wearing funny hats and ring noisemakers and drink flutes of champagne to herald in the New Year. They, like House, did not have a person to be with when the ball dropped.

"Is this what you came up for?" House handed Cuddy the file. She opened it. "You didn't sign it."

"Oh Good Golly Gosh, my bad." House pulled a pen out of his pocket and signed his name.

"Thank you Greg," Cuddy closed it and took a deep breath. "Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year Lisa." They stood there for a good full minute. "Don't you have a boyfriend to get back to? 2010 will be here any minute."


	2. Chapter 2

"Happy New Year Greg," Cuddy said.

"You already said that," House looked at her. Cuddy's face got hot. She turned to keep House from seeing her cheeks turn the color of her bright red lipstick.

"So I did." She turned and did a run walk down the hall.

House closed the door to his office and leaned against it. He thought about what had just happened. What could have happened. What he wanted to happen. He turned his wrist over to look at the time. Two minutes until 2009 was nothing but a memory. Two minutes until the only proof that this year had ever happened would be discarded calendars. How could so much happen in the short span of one year?

Absent-mindedly, House raised his right hand to his bottom lip. Did this misanthropic curmudgeon just have a moment of clarity? At the thought of that, House shook his head, wanting to loosen things up in his mind, take away the clarity from it.

_10…_

House was too absorbed in his thoughts; he had completely drowned out all sounds.

_9…_

The sounds from outside traffic,

_8…_

The sounds from the party,

_7…_

The countdown,

_6…_

Even the rapid clicking of stiletto heals getting louder, and closer.

_5…_

The sudden opening of the door caught House off guard; he almost fell back. Surprised.

_4…_

House turned to see who opened the door. Even though he knew.

_3…_

She looked at him with a confused and frightened look. Her eyes betrayed her, as if tears were about to spill from them.

_2…_

For the first time, House found himself unable to interpret a person's emotions.

_1…_

He found himself at a loss for words.

_0…_

Cuddy kissed him. It was sudden and quick. But sweet. House kissed her back. It wasn't deep and it wasn't long. But that didn't take away from the passion or excitement behind it.

They broke apart. As quickly as the kiss began, it was over. Neither knew who ended it. But they both knew who began it. Cuddy just stared at her employee, in shock of what she had done.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: So here's the part 2 you guys who've been asking for it. Thanks you guys who read and reviewed. You have No idea of how much it means to me. i was surprised that this story proved to be popular. thanks to you guys for making it happen. im working on the third rite now & still have to do my calculus hw tht i didnt do all break & i have to study for the fianl. How lame is that? have finals AFTER break. wtf? who came up with that? n. gtg i will talk to you all soon. scout's honor. (like im a scout) =)**

**so yeah working on this & another fic write now. thank you loyal fans. (made myself laugh there, isnt that all that counts) Those who review will receive an interweb hug. thats rite: THE WORLD'S FIRST INTERWEB HUG!!! i sound like the guy from the oxyclean commercials, R.I.P. billy mays. (the guy from the oxyclean commercials) cuz i no some of you were going to say 'who's tht?' WAYYYYYYY off topic...soooo... im gonna go now. ttyl. Review. love you. -blows kiss-**


	3. Chapter 4

January 2, 2010, 10 A.M.

House walked into the lobby of the hospital. He pulled a pen out his pocket to sign in, propping his cane on the desk. As he signed his name, he looked around and listened very careful for the steady beat of stiletto heels. Not sure whether he could handle this roller coaster. His emotions were a maelstrom of turmoil, a rainbow of feelings, and House was unaccustomed to having more than the equivalency of an emotional teaspoon to deal with.

He went to press the button for the elevator but one other person was standing there.

"Happy New Year, Greg."

"Happy New Year, Wilson." House looked directly at the elevator, not wanting to make eye contact with his only true friend. James Wilson wasn't as perceptive as House when it came to noticing minuet details, but he was intelligent enough figure out what was going through House's mind. If he suspected anything and applied himself, that is.

"Why am I not surprised to find you in a melancholy mood?"

"What? My cocktail of happiness to much for you?"

Wilson turned to face his friend. "See, most people, who haven't known you as long as I, would see this as 'the House Façade'. You, trying push someone away so that they have no idea of what you are chewing on, in that Rubix Cube you call a mind. Unfortunately for you, however, I have known you as long as I have known you. And if it truly exists, I consider myself the one true House master of the world."

House did not turn to face his friend. "I'm surprised that that sentence actually made sense."

"I wouldn't have said it, if I didn't make sense" The elevator door opened and the two friends stepped inside. Wilson studied his friend's face. "Don't tell me. Professor Plum, in the Ballroom, with the Revolver." The doors closed.

House gave his friend a sarcastic look. "Oh no, you figured out my dirty little secret." He bit his knuckle

Wilson merely shook his head and scratched his left eye. "I know when something is bothering you House. Even if I'm still trying to figure out the rules to this game."

"The rule book exists only in this Rubix Cube I call a mind."

The elevator dinged on the next floor, one below theirs'. The doors opened to someone with a mountain of papers in her arms. House and Cuddy made direct eye contact. Before either of them could say a thing, Wilson spoke up. "Happy New Year, Lisa."

Cuddy slightly shook her head and wished Wilson a happy New Year. Silently, thanking him for breaking the tension that he seemed blissfully unaware of. She stood still, trying to avoid eye contact with House.

Wilson looked confused. "Are you getting on?"

"Sorry," She stepped onto the elevator and went to press the button of her floor. But it was already pressed. She stood next to Wilson, who was forced to stand in between House and Cuddy. Though no one said a word, the tension radiating from both House and Cuddy was thick enough to cut with a knife. The elevator was sweltering, as their pulses raced along with time. House could hear his heart, drumming in his ears. Cuddy's throat felt as if she had dry swallowed a pill. Wilson used his peripherals to glance back and forth between his colleagues like a tennis match, back and forth. Almost as if he could see the thoughts racing in their heads.

The ride in that elevator car seemed too last longer than twenty seconds. Mercifully, the elevator door finally opened to the floor. A rapid click of heals was heard on the linoleum floor. House watched his boss walk away.

"That's how you heralded the New Year." Wilson stated.

"May I ask what you are referring to?" House gripped his cane tightly, and limped away, wanting drop the subject all together.

"Really House, you're going to continue playing this game with me." Wilson had not moved from his spot on the elevator.

As he hobbled away, he said to Wilson, without looking back. "Yep."

"OK really House? Why?"

"Where else am I going to get my entertainment? Hmm? TV is nothing like it used to be. Nothing but reality shows. Since when did Ozzy and Jean Simmons become actors?"

Wilson just stood in the elevator and watched his boss and coworker walk in opposite directions as the elevator door closed on the subject.

** Author's Note: She's back. really sorry guys. I know it took a while. i promise it won't take this long again and my apology would be much longer but i am WAY too tired to finish it. Sorry. T~T.**


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